Yellowstone N.P. Wildfires Scorch 4,000 Acres

Flames from the Alum Fire overwhelm woodlands in Yellowstone National Park. Photo courtesy of the National Park Service and National Parks Traveler.

Hot, dry conditions are feeding wildfires in Yellowstone National Park, some of which have grown by thousands of acres in just two days and were threatening a section of the Grand Loop Road on Monday (Aug. 19), National Parks Traveler reported.

The Alum Fire, which had been sparked by lightning to the west of Mud Volcano on Aug. 14 had been burning across just three acres until Saturday, when it exploded across some 3,000 acres.

On Sunday, it spread to another 1,000 acres, park officials said Monday. The fire perimeter was within a mile of the Grand Loop Road south of Mud Volcano and park officials said there was the potential for temporary closures of the road between Canyon Village and Fishing Bridge Junction.

Overall, three major fires in the park have grown under the hot, dry, gusty conditions of the past four days.

“All three fires produced tall smoke columns visible for several miles in all directions. In addition, smoke from fires outside the park to the north and west in Montana and Idaho also contributed to occasionally hazy conditions at some locations at times during (Sunday),” a park release said.